Menopause Expert: Belly Fat Grows During Menopause! Your Estrogen Levels Are Controlling You!

Is your belly fat, stress, or burnout actually a hormone issue?

In this 27 March 2025 video, host Steven Bartlett talks with Dr. Sara Szal who reveals the hidden hormone connection and how to fix it for good.

Dr. Sara Szal (previously Gottfried) is a Harvard-trained medical doctor, scientist and researcher, with 30 years of experience. She is also the author of 4 bestselling books such as, ‘The Autoimmune Cure: Healing the Trauma and Other Triggers That Have Turned Your Body Against You’. 

00:00 Intro  
02:05 What Do You Do?
03:38 Background and Training  
05:18 Helping 40,000 People: What Sara Has Done  
08:06 What Is Precision Medicine?  
09:40 What’s Wrong with Conventional Medicine?  
12:25 Why Sara Chose This Career  
14:32 Importance of Healing from Past Trauma  
16:06 How Trauma Manifests into Health Conditions  
20:05 Lack of Nutrition and Lifestyle Education in Medical Courses  
21:34 Cortisol and Stress  
24:45 Is There a Link Between Cortisol and Trauma?  
25:23 Daily Habits That Disrupt Hormones  
28:36 What Can People Do to Optimise Their Health?  
29:57 Is Sugar the Enemy?  
31:18 Supplements for Hormonal Balance  
32:14 Common Nutritional Deficiencies  
36:16 How to Regulate Cortisol Levels  
40:25 Is It Easy to Get Someone to Change?  
41:42 Can Forcing Change Cause Harm?  
43:47 How to Support Someone Breaking Bad Habits  
45:56 When Should Men Start Monitoring Testosterone?  
47:20 Testosterone in Women  
47:53 Signs of Low Testosterone in Men  
48:23 Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Women  
49:14 Symptoms of High Testosterone in Women  
50:16 How to Regulate Testosterone Levels  
52:30 Why Estrogen Matters for Both Genders  
59:09 Importance of Fibre in the Diet  
59:59 Role of the Microbiome in Hormone Regulation  
1:01:20 Fibre-Rich Foods  
1:01:33 Sara’s Preferred Diet  
1:03:22 The Ketogenic Diet  
1:05:30 Side Effects of the Keto Diet  
1:06:05 Can You Stay on Keto Long-Term?  
1:07:29 Strategies for Effective Weight Loss  
1:08:33 Fasting  
1:11:26 What Is Perimenopause and When Does It Begin?  
1:15:34 Can Menopause Symptoms Be Avoided?  
1:16:09 Birth Control  
1:16:59 Who Is Birth Control For?  
1:17:50 How Is Sara Doing Today?  
1:18:28 Sara’s Spiritual State  
1:18:57 Whole Body Yes  
1:20:01 How to Know If a Marriage No Longer Works  
1:24:15 Sara’s Divorce: Could It Have Been Saved?  
1:27:07 Are Women in Menopause More Likely to Divorce?  
1:28:28 Do Happiness Levels Rise in Your 50s?  
1:29:37 Supporting Women Better  
1:33:05 Gender Roles and Their Impact on Women  
1:34:26 Why Are Women More Stressed Than Men?  
1:35:38 Are Women More Emotionally Sensitive Than Men?  
1:36:13 Why Women Are More Prone to Autoimmune Diseases  
1:38:40 Does Late Motherhood Raise Cancer Risk?  
1:41:11 What Is Polarity in Heterosexual Relationships?  
1:45:19 How to Prevent Sexual Attraction from Fading  
1:49:02 Emotional Connection with Conversation Cards  
1:49:57 Impact of Sleep on Hormonal Balance  
1:51:39 Heart Rate Variability (HRV)  
1:52:18 How to Increase HRV Effectively